Pull-up or Chin-up is there a difference?

Source: Liftnwander.com

If you're following even a bit of fitness related information online or maybe train yourself, then you most definitely separate a pull-up and a chin-up. With pull-up being done overhand(palms away from you) and chin-up being done with underhand grip (palms facing you). This article is specifically for a standard pull-up/chin-up done with a bar.

In fitness "vocabulary", a few so called fitness influencers tend to create a ton of nomenclature and terms to break particular movements just to add in to their "knowledge" and confuse poor clients.

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If you notice the movement that you are performing, rather than the name (pull/chin up), you will notice that both ways the movement finally leads your chin over the bar. Both are upper body vertical pulls where prime movers are the "lats" or "wings".

The major differences that arise are :

- In the way you grip the bar - with overhand or pronated/underhand or supinated grip.

- The distance between both arms : wide grip or narrow grip.

The great Arnold performs ultra pronated wide grip pullup/chinup. Notice the elbows flared out. Source : Pinterest

A typical underhand/supinated pullup/chinup. Source : Google

Whatever that happens, happens with the mix and match of the above two points. You match up a pronated/overhand grip with hands placed wide apart from each other would work more of your upper back because of elbows flared out.

A mix and match of supinated grip and hands placed shoulder width apart or a little inside would cover the entire lats as the elbows are out in front and it covers the entire arc that works the lats in their full range of motion. The same happens with a pronated grip and hands placed closer to each other.

Franco Columbu performing wide grip pronated pullup/chinup. Source : lifelikealion.wordpress.com

The two other mixes of supinated grip + hands placed wide apart and pronated grip + hands placed closer together are really not recommended because in the first variation, you're putting your shoulders and biceps in a very awkward angled position that places a lot of stress on the tendons of the wrist and elbows as well. In the second variation, the wrists are under a lot of stress due to the hands placed together and this can unnecessarily place stress on elbows and forearms. Moreover, none of these two variations do the job for you. You are neither covering the upper back with the wide supination nor covering the lats with the narrow pronation. The game is changed when you perform these with a neutral grip bar and then you can mix and match and create many effective variations.

Hence, your best bet while using a straight bar is a wide pronated grip pull-up/chin-up followed by a supinated shoulder width grip pull/chin-up. This should ideally cover the chunk of the back.

Heck, I am not even a proponent of taking your "chin" over the bar let alone calling the exercise pull-up or chin-up. I have always proposed keeping your entire body "tight" and pull yourself as a single unit under control. In Crossfit, you see a lot of people "kipping" the movement. It is because that movement is required to be done in the main event. Doesn't mean that it is the way to go.

If you perform this vertical pull with control and total body tightness, it will be almost impossible to go beyond 90 degree arm angle, let alone getting your chin over the bar. I am not sure what you will call that movement then.

Hence, always assess an exercise with the movement that is being performed rather than just a name that some fitness influencer or celeb has quoted somewhere. Pull-up or chin-up is an upper body vertical pull and varying hand placement and palm placement gives you all the variations you need.